Visualizing the Worthington Mile

Members of Building Worthington’s Future (BWF) want to help start actualizing resident ideas from the comprehensive Worthington Visioning process. One idea that has particularly captured our attention is the idea of a “Worthington Mile” corridor connecting Old Worthington to the Worthington Mall. Specifically, our group was intrigued with the concept of installing traffic calming, landscaped medians along this section of High Street as a first step. At our recent membership meeting, we discussed our initial work to make this a reality.

With the financial support of our members and some local businesses, BWF engaged with the planning and landscape architecture design firm, MKSK, to help the community visualize the addition of such landscaped medians and other improvements along High Street. This includes the creation of a multi-use path along the west side of the street suggested in the Worthington Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan.

The installation of a series of traffic calming and attractive landscaped medians along High Street, together with a multiuse path, decorative streetlights and mast arms, street trees, and intersection enhancements would improve the look, feel, connectedness, and accessibility along High Street. These improvements would create a much more walkable, safe, and inviting environment for residents and businesses. The medians will help slow speeding traffic, provide safer crossing environments for school children and families, and help unify and brand this corridor and the city.

There would be significant economic development benefits as well. Such a capital investment signals the importance of this corridor to the city and provides businesses with a signature address. It would also make the corridor more inviting for employees to walk and bike to amenities and businesses up and down the Worthington Mile.

With regard to funding and maintaining the Worthington Mile, BWF believes there is an opportunity to leverage public-private partnerships. Developers and businesses realize the benefits of making these types of placemaking investments and new development could be leveraged to add these components. This is similar to what is expected to happen at the Worthington Mall with the High North project. Here the developer is working with the City to enhance the entrance to Worthington from the I-270 interchange. New business activity stimulated by the Worthington Mile would bring in more income tax to help pay for ongoing maintenance.

BWF will have additional materials to share about this exciting study in the coming weeks.

View the presentation and the introduction of the concept at our recorded virtual membership meeting by clicking here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6jrhaw47ct8kdbu/AABERGr9d30ClHjJW9Vq98Qma?dl=0

Please let us know what feedback and questions you have by emailing info@buildingworthingtonsfuture.com